Abstract
Abstract Microorganisms associated with insects play crucial roles in mediating the host plant adaptation of their insect hosts. Although oral microbiota are the primary interface with ingested plant material, we still poorly understand their diversity, their function, and their ecological relationship with insect performance. Here, we investigated the diversity and function of the oral microbiota in two generalist lepidopteran pests (Spodoptera litura and Spodoptera frugiperda) feeding across three host plants (bok choy, peanut, and maize). Plant species significantly influenced the diversity and composition of oral microbiota in both S. litura and S. frugiperda. Oral microbial communities from insects feeding on bok choy exhibited significantly higher Sobs richness and Shannon diversity compared to those with peanut or maize plants. Community-level analysis revealed overlapping enriched oral taxa—including Brevibacterium, Staphylococcus, Microbacterium, Allorhizobium-Neorhizobium-Pararhizobium-Rhizobium, Brachybacterium, and Rhodococcus—that were enriched in both insect species when consuming bok choy. In contrast, they accumulated distinct bacterial taxa emerged when feeding on peanut and maize. Microbial ligninolysis capacity within the oral microbiota showed positive associations with leaf lignin content and herbivore performance. This functional trait primarily associated with Brevibacterium and Rhodococcus taxa. Accordingly, two isolated strains, Brevibacterium sedimins OS20 and Rhodococcus sp. OS5 demonstrated effective lignin degradation capacity, achieving 41.01% and 17.62% lignin loss in litter, respectively, after 60 days in microcosm experiments. Overall, host plants shape the diversity and composition of insect oral microbiota. Crucially, microbial ligninolysis capacity and leaf lignin content positively correlated with herbivore performance. This study provides novel insights into the function of oral microbiota in plant–insect interactions, potentially informing the complex multitrophic relationships underlying coevolutionary dynamics.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Host plant species significantly influenced the diversity and composition of oral microbiota in S. litura and S. frugiperda.
- Taxon
- bok choy, peanut, and maize
Arachis hypogaea
Zea mays.jpg?width=60)
Brassica rapa subsp. chinensise0 - Treatment
- Plant speciese1
- Interactor
- S. litura
Spodoptera liturae1herbivore - Second interactor
- S. frugiperda
.jpg?width=60)
Spodoptera frugiperdae1herbivore - Outcome
- diversity and composition of oral microbiotae1
- Direction
- influencede1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“two generalist lepidopteran pests (Spodoptera litura and Spodoptera frugiperda) feeding across three host plants (bok choy, peanut, and maize)”
e1“Plant species significantly influenced the diversity and composition of oral microbiota in both S. litura and S. frugiperda”
Claim · model-written summary
Oral microbiota of insects feeding on bok choy had significantly higher Sobs richness and Shannon diversity than those feeding on peanut or maize.
- Taxon
- bok choyBrassica rapa subsp. chinensise2
- Treatment
- feeding on bok choye2
- Outcome
- Sobs richness and Shannon diversitye2
- Direction
- highere2
- Comparator
- peanut or maizee2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e2“Oral microbial communities from insects feeding on bok choy exhibited significantly higher Sobs richness and Shannon diversity compared to those with peanut or maize plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Brevibacterium, Staphylococcus and Microbacterium were enriched in the oral microbiota of both insect species consuming bok choy.
- Taxon
- bok choyBrassica rapa subsp. chinensise4
- Treatment
- consuming bok choye4
- Interactor
- insect speciese4herbivore
- Outcome
- Brevibacterium, Staphylococcus, Microbacteriume3
- Direction
- enrichede4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“including Brevibacterium, Staphylococcus, Microbacterium”
e4“were enriched in both insect species when consuming bok choy”
Claim · model-written summary
Allorhizobium-Neorhizobium-Pararhizobium-Rhizobium, Brachybacterium and Rhodococcus were enriched in the oral microbiota of both insect species consuming bok choy.
- Taxon
- bok choyBrassica rapa subsp. chinensise4
- Treatment
- consuming bok choye4
- Interactor
- insect speciese4herbivore
- Outcome
- Allorhizobium-Neorhizobium-Pararhizobium-Rhizobium, Brachybacterium, and Rhodococcuse5
- Direction
- enrichede4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“were enriched in both insect species when consuming bok choy”
e5“Allorhizobium-Neorhizobium-Pararhizobium-Rhizobium, Brachybacterium, and Rhodococcus”
Claim · model-written summary
Distinct bacterial taxa accumulated in the oral microbiota of insects feeding on peanut and maize.
- Taxon
- peanut and maizeArachis hypogaeaZea mayse6
- Treatment
- feeding on peanut and maizee6
- Outcome
- distinct bacterial taxae6
- Direction
- accumulatede6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e6“In contrast, they accumulated distinct bacterial taxa emerged when feeding on peanut and maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Microbial ligninolysis capacity of the oral microbiota was positively associated with leaf lignin content and herbivore performance.
- Taxon
- bok choy, peanut, and maizeArachis hypogaeaZea maysBrassica rapa subsp. chinensise0
- Organ / stage
- leafe7
- Interactor
- oral microbiotae7symbiont
- Outcome
- Microbial ligninolysis capacitye7
- Direction
- positive associationse7
- Qualifier
- leaf lignin content and herbivore performancee7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“two generalist lepidopteran pests (Spodoptera litura and Spodoptera frugiperda) feeding across three host plants (bok choy, peanut, and maize)”
e7“Microbial ligninolysis capacity within the oral microbiota showed positive associations with leaf lignin content and herbivore performance”
Claim · model-written summary
The ligninolysis trait of the oral microbiota is primarily associated with Brevibacterium and Rhodococcus.
- Taxon
- bok choy, peanut, and maizeArachis hypogaeaZea maysBrassica rapa subsp. chinensise0
- Interactor
- Brevibacterium and Rhodococcuse1symbiont
- Outcome
- functional traite1
- Direction
- primarily associatede1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“two generalist lepidopteran pests (Spodoptera litura and Spodoptera frugiperda) feeding across three host plants (bok choy, peanut, and maize)”
e1“This functional trait primarily associated with Brevibacterium and Rhodococcus taxa”
Claim · model-written summary
Isolated strain Brevibacterium sedimins OS20 achieved 41.01% lignin loss in litter after 60 days in microcosm.
- Taxon
- bok choy, peanut, and maizeArachis hypogaeaZea maysBrassica rapa subsp. chinensise0
- Interactor
- Brevibacterium sedimins OS20e1symbiont
- Outcome
- lignin loss in littere1
- Value
- 41.01%e1
- Qualifier
- after 60 days in microcosm experimentse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“two generalist lepidopteran pests (Spodoptera litura and Spodoptera frugiperda) feeding across three host plants (bok choy, peanut, and maize)”
e1“two isolated strains, Brevibacterium sedimins OS20 and Rhodococcus sp. OS5 demonstrated effective lignin degradation capacity, achieving 41.01% and 17.62% lignin loss in litter, respectively, after 60 days in microcosm experiments”
Claim · model-written summary
Isolated strain Rhodococcus sp. OS5 achieved 17.62% lignin loss in litter after 60 days in microcosm.
- Taxon
- bok choy, peanut, and maizeArachis hypogaeaZea maysBrassica rapa subsp. chinensise0
- Interactor
- Rhodococcus sp. OS5Rhodococcus sp. OS5e1symbiont
- Outcome
- lignin loss in littere1
- Value
- 17.62%e1
- Qualifier
- after 60 days in microcosm experimentse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“two generalist lepidopteran pests (Spodoptera litura and Spodoptera frugiperda) feeding across three host plants (bok choy, peanut, and maize)”
e1“two isolated strains, Brevibacterium sedimins OS20 and Rhodococcus sp. OS5 demonstrated effective lignin degradation capacity, achieving 41.01% and 17.62% lignin loss in litter, respectively, after 60 days in microcosm experiments”